Open to the Spirit
Today’s word: “Sunrise”
) The summer I was 20 I remember working graveyard shifts in a pulp mill in Cranbrook British Columbia. The factory was loud and busy, but we did have occasional breaks. Some of us would meander outside the factory on the roof and watch the morning sunrise. The mountains nearby made it majestic and wonderful. Somehow that beautiful view made the rest of the shift much more pleasant. I had a brotherin-law who lived in New Brunswick and also worked in a pulp mill in Dalhousie on the graveyard shift. He never missed a morning sunrise. I can understand why.
On Easter Sunday I will be out in the countryside at 6 a.m. waiting for the sun to appear on the horizon so we can begin a Sunrise Ceremony. As early as 1732 the Moravian Church held Easter Morning Prayer services in Saxony. Following the prayers the young men of the church went to the church cemetery to sing hymns and watch the sun rise, a symbol of Jesus’s resurrection. The service spread throughout the Moravian Church and to many nations. It is a wonderful tradition. The movement from darkness to light is a sign of hope, not just for our community, but for the earth itself. I miss a few hours of sleep on a busy weekend, but I gain a new perspective on life.
I am always surprised to hear that many people who grew up in a large city have never actually see a sunrise. On the farm I grew up in we were up early to start milking and in late fall when the days grew shorted it was not unusual to see a sunrise. We often went camping outdoors and were awakened by the sun. I like that metaphor. Seeing the sun rise awakens us to new hopes and possibilities. Our world needs to experience the wonder of a sunrise.
) Nearly every teenager and university student who takes a trip to Israel goes to a similar mix of tourist sites. They visit the Kotel, the
Western Wall in Jerusalem. They go to the colorful Ben Yehuda Street, and Yad Vashem, the Holocaust museum. They hang out on the beach in Tel Aviv, and float in the Dead Sea. Yet there is one popular site which involves waking up unreasonably early for a truly magical moment. Visiting Masada, the desert fortress where Jews fought off Roman invaders centuries ago is a powerful experience, not just for the history, but for the sunrise.
I remember my first trip to Masada. We woke up at 4 a.m. for the long bus ride from Jerusalem to the base of the mountain, and quickly began our hike up to the top. The sky was still dark, and a strange warm wind blew quietly as we were walking. In the darkness, our group felt oddly alone, but when we finally made it to the top, I could see this was clearly not the case. Hundreds of other people, tour groups, youth groups and Israeli students of all ages were already eagerly waiting at the top. Within minutes, the sun peeked above the horizon, and the most amazing colors spread over the desert scene. With only a few signs of civilization visible, I remembered both a profound sense of holiness with the vast emptiness of the desert, but also a deep sense of connection with all the other people standing there with me. That sunrise was truly a life changing experience for me.
Sunrises are symbolic of new opportunities and hold more wisdom than the light they show. In Judaism, the sunrise is symbolic of the renewal of creation each day. Reminding us of the story of creation and the separation of light and darkness, the unfolding rainbow of lights and colors reminds us that we can start fresh, with a “clean slate” each day. We can put aside the challenges and worries and do our best to recreate our day with a fresh perspective.
But a sunrise can also help us remember the importance of relationships and community. The Talmud asks at what time we can say the Shema, one of the core prayers of the morning service. We are told that we say this prayer, a reminder of our faith in God and faith in each other, when the sun has risen and there is enough light to see the face of a friend. What a profound message! When the sun rises, and we have enough light to remind us that we are not alone, only then can we give thanks to God. Sunrises remind us that holiness and opportunity, connection and love are waiting for us each day.
) Sunrise is my favourite time of day. I’ll even set my alarm to make sure I don’t miss it. With a mug of hot tea, it is the best free light show on earth. Every morning without fail, even on the cloudiest and overcast days, the sun faithfully appears. Some days the orange light is so intense, it’s as if the tree line boarding our back field has caught fire. Other times, colours mingle with the clouds in ribbons of mauve, pink, purple, orange, and even green. Now is not the time to plan the day. The news will come later. Sometimes I simply sit at the window and recite this poem I have memorized by heart.
sun
Every morning the world is
created.
Under the orange sticks of the
The heaped ashes of the night turn into leaves again
and fasten themselves to the high branches–
and the ponds appear like black cloth on which are painted islands of summer lilies.
If it is your nature to be happy you will swim away along the soft trails for hours,
Your imagination
alighting everywhere. And if your spirit carries within it the thorn that is heavier than lead– if it’s all you can do
to keep on trudging–
there is still somewhere deep within you a beast shouting that the earth
is exactly what it wanted–
each pond with its blazing lilies is a prayer heard and answered lavishly, every morning,
whether or not you have ever dared to be happy, whether or not you have ever dared to pray
Three voices and a poem. May you each experience such a wonderful sight.
Rev. Mead Baldwin pastors the Waterville and North Hatley Pastoral Charge; Rabbi Boris Dolin leads the Congregation Dorshei Emet in Montreal; Rev. Carole Martignacco, Unitarian Universalist is retired from ministry with Uuestrie and now resides in St-andrew’s-by-the-sea , but keeps one foot in the Townships by contributing to this column.